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cloBAZam

cloBAZam
  • Restricted Medications Non-Formulary / Not-stocked
Brand names: Sympazan
No brands, forms, or strengths have been added for this generic.

Medication comments:
Per policy, these hazardous drugs have special waste requirements. 
Generic (Brand) Waste Requirements
cloBAZam (Sympazan) Hazardous Waste ⇒  BLACK BUCKET 
USP <800> Hazardous Drugs 
Per Policy, these drugs have special handling requirements (any drug with an "AOR" is exempt from these requirements under normal circumstances).
generic (Brand) Route Relative Risk Level AOR? NIOSH 2024 Table MSHI? Warnings
 cloBAZam (Sympazan) PO Low N/A 2B    
NIOSH Supplemental information (2016): N/A FDA Pregancy Category D: There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks;
2023 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults.
Medication: cloBAZam (Onfi, Sympazan)
Criteria 1: Potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. (Table 2)
Drug(s) benzodiazepines
Rationale The use of benzodiazepines exposes users to risks of abuse, misuse, and addiction. Concomitant use of opioids may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Older adults have increased sensitivity to benzodiazepines and decreased metabolism of long-acting agents; the continued use of benzodiazepines may lead to clinically significant physical dependence. In general, all benzodiazepines increase the risk of cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, fractures, and motor vehicle crashes in older adults.
May be appropriate for seizure disorders, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, benzodiazepine withdrawal, ethanol withdrawal, severe generalized anxiety disorder, and periprocedural anesthesia.
Recommendation Avoid
 Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Criteria 2: Potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults due to drug–disease or drug–syndrome interactions that may exacerbate the disease or syndrome. (Table 3)
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome benzodiazepines ⇄ Delirium
Rationale Avoid in older adults with or at high risk of delirium because of the potential of inducing or worsening delirium.
Recommendation Avoid
 Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome benzodiazepines ⇄ Dementia or cognitive impairment
Rationale Avoid because of adverse CNS effects.
Recommendation Avoid
 Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome antiepileptics ⇄ History of falls or fractures
Rationale May cause ataxia, impaired psychomotor function, syncope, or additional falls. If one of the drugs must be used, consider reducing the use of other CNS-active medications that increase the risk of falls and fractures. (i.e., anticholinergics, selected antidepressants, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, sedative/hypnotics including benzodiazepines and, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids) and implement other strategies to reduce fall risk.
Recommendation Avoid except for seizures and mood disorders.
 Quality of evidence: High, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome benzodiazepines ⇄ History of falls or fractures
Rationale May cause ataxia, impaired psychomotor function, syncope, or additional falls.
Benzodiazepines: shorter-acting ones are not safer than long-acting ones.
If one of the drugs must be used, consider reducing the use of other CNS-active medications that increase the risk of falls and fractures. (i.e., anticholinergics, selected antidepressants, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, sedative/hypnotics including benzodiazepines and, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids) and implement other strategies to reduce fall risk.
Recommendation Avoid unless safer alternatives are not available.
 Quality of evidence: High, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Criteria 4: Potentially clinically important drug-drug interactions that should be avoided in older adults. (Table 5)
Interacting drug(s) or class(es) benzodiazepines ⇄ CNS-active agents
Risk Rationale Increased risk of falls and of fracture with the concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active agents (antiepileptics including gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids, and skeletal muscle relaxants).
Recommendation Avoid concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active drugs Click for list; minimize the number of CNS-active drugs.
 Quality of evidence: High, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
 
Interacting drug(s) or class(es) antiepileptics (including gabapentinoids) ⇄ CNS-active agents
Risk Rationale Increased risk of falls and of fracture with the concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active agents (antiepileptics including gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids, and skeletal muscle relaxants).
Recommendation Avoid concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active drugs Click for list; minimize the number of CNS-active drugs.
 Quality of evidence: High, Strength of Recommendation: Strong

Last updated: Sep. 18, 2025
  • Hazard.Drug Handling(USP 800) USP<800> Hazardous Drug
  • Hazardous Waste BLACK BUCKET
  • Black Box Warnings Risk From Concomitant Use with Opiods
  • Look-Alike/Sound-Alike cloBAZam confused with clonazePAM



Pharmacy Contact Info:

Main Inpatient Pharmacy: ext 4599, 3503
Fax: 704-878-7283

Director of Pharmacy - Randi Raynor, PharmD: ext 4501
Clinical Coordinator - Laura Rollings, PharmD: ext 4597
Pharmacy Informaticist - Stephen Pringle, PharmD: ext 7645
Pharmacy Technician Supervisor - Amy Wingler, CPhT: ext 7385
Pharmacy Automation Coordinator (Omnicell) - Melissa Fulford, CPhT: ext 3556



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